Podcast show notes: what to include, with a template

Podcast show notes are the written description that goes with each episode, in podcast apps and on your website. Good show notes tell a potential listener what the episode is about in the first line or two, then list the guest, the key topics with timestamps, and links to everything mentioned. Below is what to include, a template you can copy, and an example.

What to include in podcast show notes

A one- or two-sentence summary. Podcast apps often show only the first lines before "more", so lead with what the episode is about and who it's for.

Guest name and a short bio, with links to their site or social accounts.

Key topics with timestamps. Let listeners jump to the part they care about. Apple Podcasts and Spotify turn timestamps in the episode description into chapters when you list at least three, one per line, starting at 00:00:00.

Links to everything you mentioned: articles, studies, books, tools, earlier episodes.

A call to action: follow the show, leave a review, join the newsletter, or support the show. Pick one.

Credits and disclosures: sponsors, affiliate links, and who produced or edited the episode.

A transcript link, if you have one.

Podcast show notes template

[Episode title]

[One or two sentences: what this episode is about and who it's for.]

[Optional: 2 or 3 more sentences of context.]

GUEST
[Name], [one-line bio]. [Link]

IN THIS EPISODE
00:00:00 [Topic]
00:00:00 [Topic]
00:00:00 [Topic]

LINKS MENTIONED
- [Title], [source], [link]
- [Title], [source], [link]

[Call to action, one line.]

[Sponsor or affiliate disclosure, if any.]
[Transcript: link]

Copy the template

Show notes example

This is an illustrative example for an imagined episode, not a real show.

Repair or replace? How we decide what to keep

When something breaks, how do you decide whether to fix it? We look at one repair that worked, one replacement that made sense, and the questions that helped in each case.

IN THIS EPISODE
00:00:00 The item I almost threw away
00:04:10 A repair that worked, and what it cost in time
00:15:30 When replacing was the better call
00:27:45 Four questions to ask about your own stuff

LINKS MENTIONED
- [Firsthand repair account], [site], [link]
- [Manufacturer support page], [link]
- [Replacement account], [site], [link]

Got a repair-or-replace story? Reply to the newsletter and tell us.

How long should show notes be?

Long enough to cover the summary, topics and links. Many shows keep the app description short and put the full notes, with every link, on an episode page on their website. If you have a transcript, link it rather than pasting the whole thing into the description.

Tips for better show notes

Write the first sentence for someone deciding whether to listen

Skip "In this episode we talk about". Say what the episode is about.

Collect links while you prepare, not after you record

The easiest show notes are the ones whose links you saved during research. If you note the source next to each claim in your outline or script, the "Links mentioned" list is already written.

Check every link

Open each one before publishing. Articles move and paywalls change.

Use the guest's own wording for their bio

Ask the guest for a one-line bio and their preferred links before recording.

Keep your sources in one place

Podcast Prep keeps the articles, posts, emails and notes you collect for an episode in one research queue, saved with the Chrome extension or the web app, and turns them into an episode prep with topics, key quotes and talking points. Past preps are archived, so you can find what you covered in earlier episodes. It's a prep tool, not a show notes generator: you still write the notes, but the material you need is already gathered. Plans are $9.95 a month or $79.95 a year.

Related: worked episode prep example, podcast preparation checklist.

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